Volkswagen Uses 3D Printing to Mass Produce Automobile Parts

CNN reports on Volkswagen’s new plans to use 3D printing in the mass production of automobile parts. The company will “start using HP metal printing technology to manufacture select parts including gear knobs and custom tailgate lettering.”

Additionally, Volkswagen also plans to “mass produce structural parts using the technology within two to three years.” Typically, Volkswagen automobiles are built using up to 8,000 separate parts. Prior to this announcement, “Volkswagen already had 90 printers in its plants, which [had been] used to make replacements for rare parts.”

As Volkswagen’s Head of Technology Planning and Development Martin Goede explains: “a complete vehicle will probably not be manufactured by a 3D printer any time soon, but the number and size of parts from the 3D printer will increase significantly. A big advantage of 3D printing is it allows us to produce many of these parts without first having to build manufacturing tools.”